Textile braids

ABSTRACT

A generally tubular textile braid is divided into two axially extending portions by stitching or otherwise securing opposed wall portions of said braid together, one of said portions being adapted to receive a wiring harness and the other containing an axially extending reinforcement constituted by a second tubular braid of the same or a different textile material, the two braids being formed with the same or very similar braiding angles, so that on radial expansion of the first portion to install it over a substrate such as a wiring harness assembly, both axially extending portions and the reinforcement contract by substantially the same amount in an axial direction.

This invention relates to braided textile tubes of the kind commonlyused for shielding and/or protecting bundles of wires and/or cables.Such products are typically used to enclose the wiring harness in motorvehicles. The braid containing the wiring harness is secured to the bodyof the vehicle by clips, cords or plastics straps in order to minimisevibration and the possibility of noise caused by such vibration. Thebraid must be radially expandable in order to facilitate installationover the parts of a wiring harness. It must also be strong enough tosupport the harness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a textile braidwhich is both radially expandable and at the same time strong enough tofully support the harness and retain it firmly against a substrate suchas the inside wall of an engine compartment.

According to this invention a generally tubular textile braid is dividedinto two axially extending portions by stitching or otherwise securingopposed wall portions of said braid together, one of said portions beingadapted to receive a wiring harness and the other containing an axiallyextending reinforcement constituted by a second tubular braid of thesame or a different textile material, the two braids being formed withthe same or very similar braiding angles, so that on radial expansion ofthe first portion to install it over a wiring harness assembly, bothaxially extending portions and the reinforcement contained within one ofthem contract by substantially the same amount in an axial direction.

By using a braid of the kind just recited, it is possible to install aprotective sleeve over a wiring harness, including plugs and/orconnectors, without displacing the reinforcement. Because the latterdoes not have to be secured to the braid by stitching, manufacture isrelatively simple and can be carried out in a single operation. Bychoosing the relative sizes (diameters) of the axially extendingportions, together with the size of the reinforcing braid, it ispossible to produce a product which can be attached to a substrate onlyby the second, reinforced portion, so that there is no need to securethe entire assembly. Thus the reinforced portion can be stapled to awall, or engaged in a row of hooks or pins without any risk of thelatter also engaging or damaging a wiring harness inside the firstportion.

In order that the invention be better understood preferred embodimentsof it will now be described by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a schematic view of braidaccording to this invention and FIG. 2 is another braid according tothis invention. For convenience, common reference numerals are used inboth Figures.

In FIG. 1, a tubular braid is divided into two unequally sized axiallyextending portions 3, 4 by a row of axially extending stitches (notseen, but indicated at 5). The smaller diameter portion 4 contains asecond tubular braid 6, inserted during manufacture of the braid 1. Bothbraids were made from a mixture of strong monofilament and multifilamentyarns; in this case polyester material was used. The same braiding angleof about 45° was used to ensure good radial expandability for the largerdiameter portion 3, so it could be readily installed over a wiringharness (for example, as shown at 9 in FIG. 2). Because the samebraiding angles were used, the axial forces due to expansion caused bothbraids to contract axially by the same amount, so that afterinstallation, the end regions of the portion 4 were still fullyreinforced, without any need to otherwise anchor/secure the reinforcingbraid 6 inside portion 4.

The assembly was strong enough to withstand attachment to a substrate byclips 15 attached only to the second, reinforced portion.

In FIG. 2, the structure of FIG. 1 is modified by providing a secondaxially extending reinforced portion 7, corresponding to the smallerdiameter portion 4 described above, but located on the opposite side ofthe portion 3 and containing its own reinforcing braid 10. Thisconstruction is suitable for heavy duty applications; it can be securedalong both edges by clips 15 or staples 12, as appropriate.

I claim:
 1. A generally tubular, radially expandable textile braiddivided into first and second axially extending tubular portions, saidfirst tubular portion being adapted to receive a wiring harness, a firsttextile braided reinforcement element extending axially within saidsecond axially extending tubular portion, said generally tubular braidbeing constructed to allow for radial expansion upon axial contraction,said radially expandable textile braid and said first textile braidedreinforcement element having substantially the same braid angles so thaton radial expansion of the first portion, both axially extendingportions and the reinforcement element contract axially by substantiallythe same amount.
 2. A braid according to claim 1 provided with a thirdaxially extending tubular portion located diametrically opposite thesecond tubular portion, a second textile braided reinforcement elementextending axially within said third axially extending tubular portion,said second braided reinforcement element and said third axiallyextending portion having substantially the same braiding angle as saidfirst and second axially extending portions and said first braidedreinforcement element.